Final day of inquest into foster child’s death in Pense

Friday is the last day of a coroner's inquest looking into the death of a three-year-old boy who died in foster care in Pense. All week, a six-member jury has listened to testimony from over 20 witnesses. The focus now shifts to the jury as they will make recommendations on how to possibly prevent future deaths.

Wayne Phaneuf with the Ministry of Social Services said this case is an important one. “The death of a child is something the Ministry takes very seriously,” Phaneuf said.

The child died from a treatable chest infection. But, serious concerns in the home have come to light throughout the inquest. Those include children falling down the stairs because of no baby gate, power tools and oil being stored in an unlocked shed, and the home being filthy and cluttered.

Lori Abbott, a social worker, advised more extensive safety checks should be implemented as this foster family failed a safety check only a month before the child died. She also noted social workers are often overwhelmed by their caseloads. Abbott has been responsible for as many as 60 families and believes it would be more beneficial if that number were closer to 15.

The boy's biological father, who can only be identified as K.G. doesn't want any other families to go through the pain he did. “Hopefully none of this happens in the future to other foster kids,” K.G. said

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